Musical instrument



W. J. MAXWELL, JR.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION- FILED AUG. 12, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- Patefited July 19, 1921.

W. J. MAXWELL, In.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I2. 1920' 1,384,843. e d uly 19', 1921.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1. MAXWE L L, Jn.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I2| I920.

Patented July 19, 1921.

3SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLTAM J. MAXWELL, JR., 015 NEW YORK, N. Y.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MAXWELL, J12, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to musical instruments and particularly to an instrument combination of a primary instrument and secondary instruments adapted to be energized by the primary instrument.

It represents improvements on the kind of instruments similar to that disclosed in the United States Patent No. 190,358 issued to A. Montanelli on January 24:, 1893.

One object of my invention is to provide a primary instrument with means for easily causing an electrical contact when any one. of its strings is sounded in its basic tone without necessitating the playing hand to be moved from the neck of the instrument.

Another object of my invention'is to utilize the strings themselves for the purpose of normally holding said contact means in non-conductive position.

Another object of my invention is to provide within the body of the primary instrument a stationary panel or terminal board so arranged as to be invisible to the eyes of the audience when the player of the primary instrument appears on the stage and a corre sponding removable terminal board adapted to be placed upon and connected with the stationary one unnoticed to the observer.

A further object is to provide on the primary instrument an invisible finger-switch adapted to electrify or deenergize the instrument.

. Still another object of my invention is to provide in the secondary instrument means for producing combination dull and metallic tones and chime tones as well, the former being produced by successive, rapidly following vibrations, while the chime sounds are caused by singly occurring strikes during each period of vibration of the combined dull and metallic tone giving means.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a plurality of contact points on the neck of the primary stringed instrument between the frets and below the strings, which are conductive, and adapted to form contact when the strings are pressed down by the fingers, said contact points being connected Specification of Letters Patent.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

in such a manner, that when a certain tone 1s played on the primary instrument no matter 011 which of its strings, the corresponding tone of the secondary instrument is sounded.

The foregoing and still further objects wlll be more fully apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure lis a front view of a banjo in connection witha secondary instrument, showing my improved features connected there with.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a primary instrument, the body of which is partially broken ofl.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a preferred form of the secondary instrument taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the panel or distributing boards taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the neck of the primary instrument taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view through the head of the primary instrument taken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail side view of the instru- Inent head showing the arrangement of con tact levers.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrzunmatical views illustrating the manner in which the contacts of the primary instruments are connected.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the banjo body which is composed of a cylindrical member 2 over which is fitted a membrane 3 forming in substance a drum. Within the cylinder 2 is a diametral brace 4 in continuation of which extends from the body the neck 5 terminating in the head 6.

Strung from the head over the neck and supported by bridge 7 are conductive cords or strings 8, corresponding to the basic tones E, A, D and G, attached at 9 to the cylindrical rim 2. The neck is provided with the usual frets 10. At each space between the frets are provided four contact points 11, of metal, which are embedded in the insulating neck material. The contact points are placed directly below the respective strings. Secured to the embedded end of each of the contact points 11 are insulated wires, indi- Patented July 19, 1921.

Application filed August 12, 1920. Serial No. 403,062.

cated at 12, which form a cable 13 invisibly lodged within the neck 5 and terminating in a terminal board 1 1- permanently and invisibly attached to reinforcing rib or brace 1. (See Fig. 4).

At the head 6 of the instrument are also four contact points 11' similar to that placed within the neck of the instrument (see Figs. (3 and T), which are also connected with terminal board 14.

Secured to the head are brackets 15 in which are pivotedly lodged swinging levers 16 having a shorter lever arm which is turned toward contact points 11, as indi ated at 17, and an upward directed long lever arm parallel with the strings. Arms 17 are provided with apertures for facilitating the respective strings to pass therethrough. which act in the 'apacity of springs, holding the levers normally in noncontacting position above contact points 11.

when the player wishes the lever to term contact with points 11 he simply raises the longer lever arm without removing his hand from the playing position, which is that oi encircling the neck by the thumb and he index finger.

The terminal board 14: possesses a plurality of snap receivers 18 to which lead the individual insulated wires from the contact points 11 and 11.

In the diagrammatic Figs. 8, 9 and it) the mode oi wiring is illustrated showing that the contact points corresponding to tones the same pitch, but below dii'lierent strings are connected by one conductor leading to the terminal.

90. tor instance. in Fig. 8 the contact point below string E is connected with the seventh point E under string .1; the litth point under string E marked A. isconnectcd with the twelfth point under string A... marked A. (Compare with Figs. 9 and'itl.)

In a similar way the rest oi the contact points are interconnected as indicated on D and G strings in Fig. 8.

Corrcsl'ionding in number of contacts witl stationary terminal 14 is a removable terminal 19 having plugs 20, fitting into snap receivers 18 when the terminal board if is placed upon stationary board iii.- A similar cable leads from the removable terminal board to one or more secondary instruments. where the individual wires are distributed to tone producing units correspomling in pitch to the tone or contact points oi the banjo.

Grouped with the wires from the removable terminal is a conductor 21 connected with battery 22 from which a wire 23 passes over linger switch 2 1 to the i'astciiing place '9 of: strings S.

The secondary instrument shown in the drawings represents a combination of a Xylophone and 'chllDGS, and the Xylophone again comprises an arrangement of double bars of equal pitch, one being made of metal the other of wood or iiber so as to produce a composite metallic and dull sound.

For the purpose of explaining the operation of the secondary instrument. a frame or table 25 is shown on top of which rests one row of double bars consisting of metallic bars 26 and wooden bars 27 (sec lower part of Fig. 1) suspended in such a manner as to produce a tone when vibrated.

Another row of similar bars 28 (Fig. 3) is disposed below the table platform.

These bars are caused to vibrate when the buzzer-like electro-magnets 29 and 3) are .icrgined when contact is formed between the strings of the banjo and the corresponding'contact points'at the neck. These electro-mz'tgnet-s are provided with hammers 31 and 32wide enough to reach over one metal and one wooden bar so as to vibrate both bars siimiltaneously.

Connected with the same contact as the lmzzer-magnets, are solenoids 33 actuating a hammer 341 adapted to singly strike a chime tube 35 corresponding in tone to the double bars of the Xylophone and to that of the primary instrument.

The chime tubes 35 are supported by a sound board 36 preferably placed below the Xylophone bars.

A battery 22 is conveniently and 'invisibly attached to the table.

Operation:

My instrument is primarily designed to serve as an attraction 'on the stage. The musician appears with the banjo in his hand and is seated in view of the audience on a chair.

The cable with the removable terminal leading to the invisible secondary instrument is previously placed on them-hair. The performer connects secretly the terminals of the primary and secondary instruments.

"1e may start playing on the banjo while the linger switch is open and later he may close it thereby electrically connecting both instruments. lVhen pressing the strings between the frets, contact is made with the contact points and the respective buzzer-magnets of the nylop'hone and the plain electro-magnets of the chimes are energized. thus causing the respective tones of the secondary instrument to sound simultaneously with that of the banjo, when its strings are played.

The secondary instrument maybe played, however, without sounding the tones of the game pitch on the primary instrument, but emanating other tones therefrom, whereby attractive harmonies may be produced.

Due to the interconnection of the tone contact points where tones of the same pitch but on various strings may be played, the operator is enabled to produce a sliding ill! tone, not only on the primary but also on the secondary instrument; by gliding the finger from the first fret to the desired to'ne. This is particularly desirable when the tone of an open string for instance that of the E string, is to be produced. It would sound very abrupt andunnatural to produce that tone On the E string, Therefore, the player prefers to play that tone at the seventh fret on the A string. By so doing a more pleasant effect is produced.

The lever arrangement at the head of the instrument serves primarily for enabling the player to sound the secondary instrument, while he strikes an open string or basic tone, without removing his hand from the playing position. This is accomplished by touching lever arm 16 with one of his four .i'ree fingers and causing it to move in upward direction.

The upward motion of lever arm 16 brings lever arm 17 into contact with metal points 11, whereby the electric circuit is closed, and the secondary instrument energized.

The drawings show preferred forms of my device in connection with specific intruments and the description treats of the construction involved.

Be it uderstood, however, that any other instrument may be used and equipped with my improved devices and other combinations may be created within the broad scope of my invention. I, therefore, reserve for myself the right to make changes and improvements in order to meet various conditions arising from the manifold use to which my invention may be put.

Having thus described the same, I claim:

1. In a musical instrument combination for the purpose set forth, a banjo having electrically conductive strings and electric contact points between the frets below each of the strings, a stationary panel board placed within the body of the banjo, said contact points being individually connected by means of insulated conductors with said stationary panel board, pivoting levers con-v ductively connected with said strings at the head of the banjo and held in inoperative position by said strings, said levers adapted to be pressed down at their short end against contact points, a finger switch adapted to facilitate either of said strings being electrically charged, or to interrupt the electrical current charging them, a detachable panel board adapted to be placed upon and fitting said stationary panelboard and having aplurality of electrical conductors adapted to energize electro-magnets of a secondary instrument when the strings of said banjo are caused to form contact with said contact poin.ts,said secondary instrument comprising a plurality of tone producing pairs of metallic and wooden bars, each corres 0nding pair adapted to be sounded simu taneously, andichime-bars corresponding in tone with each respective pair of bars, buzzer-like electro-magnetic hammers adapted to repeatedly strike. each corresponding metal and wood bar-pair when energized, another electro-magnetic hammer adapted to singly strike a corresponding chime bar simultaneously with said bar-pair, and means forsupplying electric energy to said conductors.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination of a banjo, a Xylophone and chimes, means electrically connecting said banjo, Xylophone and chimes, electrical contact points provided at the head of the banjo, pivotal levers conductively connected with the strings of the banjo, contact points provided below the shorter portion of said levers and held in non-contacting relation by said strings, said levers adapted to form contact between said strings and said contact point when their longer portion is moved in upward direction.

3. In an electrically energized combination of musical instruments, a banjo having a'plurality of contact points provided at its neck and head below each of its open strings, a set of levers adapted to form contact between said open strings and said contact points at the head, xylophones and chimes adapted to be energized from said banjo when contacts are formed between the latters strings and any of said contact points, electric conductors interconnecting said banjo and said xylophones and chimes, and means for electrically connecting or disconnecting said banjo and said Xylophones and chimes at will. I

4. In an electrically energized combination of musical instruments, primary stringed instruments provided with a plurality of neck and head contacts below each of the strings, a set of levers at the head of the primary instruments for making contact between said head-contacts and said strings, hammeroperated secondary instruments energized by said primary instruments when contacts are made at the latter and means for electrically connecting said primary and secondary instruments.

7 5. In a musical instrument combination comprising a primary stringed instrument and a secondary instrument adapted to be energized by said primary instrument, electric conductors connecting said primary and secondary instruments, electrical contacts provided at the neck and head of said primary instrument and below the strings, circuit closing levers provided for the head contacts of the primary instrument, said contacts being interconnected so as to cause the energizing of the secondary instrument when contact is made at a given tone-point no matter on which string of said primary instrument the tone is produced, substantially as described.

ductive position above said contact points, the longer arms of said levers adapted to be pressed in an upward direction, thereby depressing the shorter arms, when it is desired to make electrical contact between said strings and said contact points, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 31 day of July A. D. 1920.

VILLIAM J. MAXWVELL, J R. 

